Through the years we have been privileged to be included as artists to sing on many gospel music cruises. My wife, Glenda, will always start to pack her suitcase about a week ahead. She takes time to think about everything that she might want to wear and packs accordingly. My sister, Candy, on the other hand, calculates exactly what she will wear and also packs accordingly.

On one of our cruises Candy packed so light that she ran out of clothes. That has never happened to Glenda or the other lady in our group, Mary, who also packs with the thought of what she might wear. There are also advantages to packing everything you might wear because you will never run out of clothes. There are also advantages of packing what you will wear because your suitcase can easily be carried.

The disadvantages of packing what you might wear are that it is very difficult to lift your suitcase and if you are flying you might be forced to pay for overweight luggage. If you take only what you will wear you cannot change your mind and wear something else because of a special occasion or a change in the temperature. So we can conclude that there are advantages and disadvantages to both ways of packing. It all comes down to what we prefer. Almost like the room temperature or the color of the carpet, it is just a matter of what we, as an individual, prefer.

Is it possible to strain a relationship because we prefer to pack our suitcases a certain way? Have you ever experienced tension because you like it warm and someone else likes it cooler? How about the color of the carpet or the paint on the walls? Is it possible that we want to control people to think as we do?

These and other life questions will be addressed Sunday morning as “The Gathering Place Family” meets in the Washington Junior High School Library for Bible Study at 9:30 and in the gymnasium at 10 a.m. for our Pre-Service Connection where we enjoy coffee, juice and donuts. Our Worship Service and Children’s Church then begins at 10:30. Come at 7 p.m. and be part of our Wednesday night Bible Study and Children’s Ministry on the third floor above Trends at 120 W. Court St. in Washington Court House.